Daily Current affairs - May 11th, 2017 for all competitive exams
On 11th May 1998 India achieved a major
technological breakthrough by successfully carrying out nuclear tests
at Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- Technology
Development Board, Ministry of Science and Technology is celebrating 19th
National Technology Day, at Vigyan Bhawan.
- The theme of the function is “Technology for inclusive and sustainable growth”.
Government sets up a high-level task force to
compute timely data on employment
The government of India has set up
a high-level task force to compute timely data on employment in the
country, a move that will go a long way to help government frame policies and
take steps that can create jobs in the country.
- The
task force has been created under the chairmanship
of NITI Aayog's vice chairman Arvind Panagariya.
- The
other members of the task force are labor secretary Sathiyavathy,
secretary statistics T.C.A. Ananth, Pulak Ghosh of NITI Aayog and Manish
Sabharwal (member RBI Board).
Labour meet
to focus on social security
The Standing
Labour Committee will shortly meet to decide the agenda of the ILC, also known
as the ‘labour parliament’ of the country. Providing social security cover for
the entire workforce may be the central theme of the upcoming 47th Indian Labour Conference (ILC).
- The
Labour Ministry had earlier this year proposed a law on social security
which will provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the
country, including self-employed and agricultural workers. Factories
employing even a single worker will have to contribute towards social
security benefits, as per the proposed social security code.
- The
ILC is the apex level tripartite forum in the Labour Ministry which
includes representatives from trade unions, employers and state
governments.
IRCTC launches cash-on-delivery for train tickets
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC) is now offering home delivery of rail tickets and
will allow passengers to make payment through any payment mode, including
cash.
- Broad-basing
the customer service, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
has now introduced pay-on-delivery (PoD) service, allowing
passengers to book train tickets online and pay at the time of
delivery.
Railways to acquire EoTT system to run trains
without guards
The Indian Railways will float global
tenders worth over ₹100 crore for acquiring End of Train
Telemetry (EoTT) equipment to run 1,000 trains without guards.
- This
equipment is used to establish communication between the locomotive driver
and the last wagon of the train to ensure that the train is running with
all coaches/wagons as a complete unit.
- EoTT
system comprises two units — one unit called cab display unit (CDU) fitted
on the locomotive and the other is sense and brake unit (SBU) fitted on
the last coach or wagon of the train.
Supreme
Court’s Integrated Case Management Information System
Supreme
Court’s Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS) was recently
launched by the PM.
- The
Integrated Case Management Information System or ICMIS is described as the
next generation hybrid database which is used to better enable litigants
to access and retrieve information online.
- The
new system, aimed at serving as a digital repository for case-related
information, can be accessed at sci.gov.in.
- Its
functions include the option of e-filing cases, checking listing dates,
case status, online service of notice/summons, office reports and overall
tracking of progress of a case filed with the apex court registry.
India, US officials discuss strengthening maritime
security cooperation
Top Indian and American officials discussed ways
to strengthen maritime security cooperation during the two-day India-US
Maritime Security Dialogue in Rhode Island.
- The
implementation of the decisions taken at the first Maritime Security
Dialogue between the two countries.
29th edition of CORPAT between India-Indonesia
begins in Port Blair
The 29th edition
of Co-ordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India-Indonesia
commenced in Port Blair.
- The
Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sutedi Senoputra has arrived at
Haddo Wharf, Port Blair to mark the commencement of the IND–INDO
CORPAT. The closing ceremony of the CORPAT is scheduled at Belawan,
Indonesia from 22 – 25 May 2017.
India, Russia agree to work closely in various
sectors
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry
Rogozin arrived in New Delhi recently on a one-day visit to attend
IRIGC-TEC meeting.
- India
and Russia agreed to work closely in various sectors, including security,
nuclear energy, and disaster management.
Indian Navy ships; INS Karwar and Kakinada
decommissioned
Two minesweepers of the Indian Navy INS Karwar
and INS Kakinada were decommissioned after being in service for over 30
years.
- The
two ships were bid adieu at a ceremony in the Naval Dockyard in
Mumbai in the presence of Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.
- INS
Karwar was the first of the ‘Natya’ class minesweepers acquired from
the erstwhile Soviet Union. The ship was commissioned on July
14, 1986.INS Kakinada was the second of the class and was
commissioned on December 23, 1986.
Multidrug-resistant
TB will rise in India, says new study
According to a
study, Multidrug Resistant-Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a version of the disease
where patients do not respond to first-line drugs, will become more common than
it is now.
- The
report projects that, by 2040, the percentage of MDR-TB will make up 32.5%
of all TB cases in Russia, 12.4% of the TB cases in India, 8.9% of the TB
cases in the Philippines, and 5.7% of all TB cases in South Africa.
Centre mulls
financial assistance to fisherfolk
With about
four million people — mainly small-scale and artisanal fishers — in India
depending on marine fisheries resources for livelihood, the Centre plans to
provide them financial assistance and introduce norms to improve labour
conditions in the sector.
- However,
it will ensure that the Indian fishing fleet does not engage in ‘Illegal,
Unreported and Unregulated’ (IUU) fishing, according to the National
Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017.
- The
Indian marine fisheries account for an economic wealth of about Rs. 65,000
crore, according to the policy — meant to guide the coordination and
management of India’s marine fisheries during the next 10 years.
IFSC at GIFT inks pact with GNLU to start course on
IFSC regulations
India's first International Financial Services
Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT)
entered into an agreement with Gujarat National Law
University (GNLU) to collaborate on efforts for Skill Development in
the field of International Financial Services & Regulations.
- Under
the memorandum of understanding (MoU), GNLU will introduce a new course on
International Financial Services Centre from its June 2017 Semester. It
will also organize a program for Lawyers covering IFSC,
International Arbitration and related fields.
Dena Bank classifies Videocon loan as ‘bad’
Dena Bank has become the first lender to
classify Videocon Industries as a bad loan. With the default on
payments, Dena Bank has declared Videocon Industries account as non-performing
asset (NPA) in the fourth quarter ended March 2017.
- The
total exposure of lenders to the electronic goods maker has pegged at
approx Rs 40,000 crore.
SEBI allows investors to buy mutual funds via
digital wallet
Markets regulator Stock Exchange board of
India (Sebi) allowed investors to buy mutual fund schemes for up
to Rs 50,000 through digital wallets, making it easier for them
especially the young generation to purchase these instruments.
- The
move is part of the efforts to promote digital payments in the MF industry
and channelise household savings into the capital market.
Sanjay Mitra appointed as Defence Secretary
The government has named Road Transport and
Highways Secretary Sanjay Mitra as its new defence
secretary in a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.
- Mitra
will take over as the secretary after the present incumbent, G Mohan
Kumar, completes his tenure on May 24,2017 an order issued by the
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Twitter elevates Taranjeet Singh as Country
Director for India
Microblogging platform Twitter has elevated
Taranjeet Singh as its Country Director for India. Mr. Singh was earlier
leading the charge for sales and marketing support for Twitter’s advertisers in
India.
- Recently,
Twitter had launched a lighter version of its platform 'Twitter
Lite' for users in India.
Konkona bags Best Director and Best Actress awards
at New York Indian Film Festival
Konkona Sensharma has been named the best
director for her directorial debut ‘A Death in the Gunj’ and the best actress
for ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ at 2017's New York Indian Film Festival
(NYIFF).
- Presented
by the Indo-American Arts Council, the film festival
took place from April 30 to May 7, 2017.
NBA inaugurates academy in India
In a promising step for Indian basketball, the
national Basketball Association (NBA) inaugurated its first ever academy in
Greater Noida.
- This is latest of the several steps that the National Basketball Association (NBA) the governing body of the game in US has taken to promote the game in India over the past few years.
